Living Biofilter
Air-cleaning Ecosystem for Buildings

Maintaining indoor air quality at a high level is
a challenge in today's industrialized society when North Americans
spend more than eighty percent of their time indoors. With a wide
range of climate conditions in Canada and energy conservation being
a priority, having buildings sealed against the elements is an efficient
way to maintain a comfortable indoor climate. Sealing buildings
in some cases can result in accumulation of gasses from furniture,
carpets, ceiling tiles and wall covers. The gasses, called volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) may also increase the risk of health problems
if not removed from the air.

An OMAFRA funded research project has developed a new method to
improve the quality of indoor air. The novel method of indoor
air biofiltration, uses living plants and beneficial microbes in
a biofilm as a biofilter to degrade pollutants and produce oxygen
while cleaning the air in an energy efficient way.

This research has potentially great benefits for anyone working
or living in the buildings with the biofilter, especially those
suffering from health problems such as asthma, fatigue, headaches,
eye irritation, fever and infections. This technology has wide range
of benefits including reduced energy consumption, improved air quality,
and aesthetic appeal. This OMAFRA-funded Plant Agriculture
research at the University of Guelph could be used as a means of
mitigating the “sick building syndrome” and may some
day be used in space exploration.

The new four-story-high living wall air filter installed at the
Humber College in Toronto is one example of spin-off benefits from
this research. Another example of benefits from the original
research project is the launch of a Guelph company, Air Quality
Solutions Ltd. Air Quality Soultions Ltd. offers plant based
biofilters for residential and industrial use.

The OMAFRA and industry funded research at the University of Guelph
led to additional funding from CRESTech (Centre for Research in
Earth and Space Technology, now known as Earth and Environmental
Technologies), an Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE) and the awarding
of a fellowship from the OCE to assist in the commercialization
of the technology. This original research project was also
funded by other collaborative partners such as the Canada Life Assurance
Co. and Adason Properties Ltd., Air Quality Solutions, NORCAT and
both the European and Canadian Space Agencies.

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